Meet The Owners Of The HandleBar

Brothers Stephen and Brian Lindsay started The HandleBar in 2012 with a pretty simple goal: Bring a new outdoor experience to the city that brings people together, pay off their investment and learn a little about starting/running a small business along the way. Both graduated with degrees in Mechanical Engineering, however the HandleBar pulled them out of corporate America after 3 years of running the business on nights/weekends. By starting The HandleBar, they are combining their love of being outdoors with socializing and meeting new people. The HandleBar is a way to help locals and out of town visitors enjoy this great midwestern city in a unique way. Let’s ride!

(Picture was taken from a story that “CAR AND DRIVER” did on us in the Oct 2014 issue of the magazine)

Interested in the history of the pedal pub ?

The history of the pedal pub dates back to the world headquarters of the bicycle – in The Netherlands. 19 years ago the bike that you see in Detroit, Michigan today was invented by Brothers Henk and Zwier Van Laar. They were asked by a friend who owned a bar to make a float for the Queen’s Day Parade – the request was to make a bicycle bar combining 2 favorites of the Dutch: Beer and biking. Henk and Zwier went to work and what you see is the result! After the parade it was such a hit they started renting it and the rest is history.

We’re honored to offer tours of Detroit with the world’s first bicycle bar. Look close and you’ll see dutch wording “Het Fietscafe” on the bike, which is a word that Henk and Zwier made up of existing words (Het = the, Fiets = bicycle, cafe = bar) Pictured above are Henk and Zwier with their HandleBar t-shirts and 2 of our bikes before they were shipped from Amsterdam! Something else The HandleBar is proud of is that we’ve made design improvement suggestions to the clutch system and they have already been implemented to the bikes that are shipping worldwide.

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What Our Riders Are Saying

"Had a blast with family on the Handlebar. I didn't have to peddle - I got to bartend in the middle! We had great music and danced and laughed. It was a great time!"

Debby B

"My group and I had a great time during our HandleBar Tour! The staff was very friendly and allowed us to go everywhere we wanted. We will definitely be back soon, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone!"

Andrew B.

"What a fun adventure to get around and see the city, this a great experience for people visiting our city. The Handel Bar makes frequent stops so you capture some amazing group photos! Brandon was our entertaining Driver and took care of our group! Thank you !"

Lindsey M.

See What It’s Like

Curious about what The HandleBar experience is really like? Check out these photos of riders having a great time with friends, family, and coworkers while biking and checking out bars downtown.

Ready to get in the action and get the most unique tour of downtown Detroit? The bikes are waiting, the beer is flowing, and we’re ready to guide you through the streets.

Still Have Questions?

We are more than happy to help you better understand what The HandleBar experience is all about, how to book your tour, and to let you know what to expect during your ride through our amazing city’s streets.